A dialogue on the future of land use, justice, and the Common Agricultural Policy
Monday 22.Jun, 16.00-18.00, Hosted by MEP Manuela Ripa
European Parliament, Brussels – Altiero Spinelli Building, Room 5F385
Registration for the in-person participation here (no longer possible for those who don’t possess an EP badge), and for webstreaming here.
1. Rationale
European agriculture stands at a structural crossroads. The sector is simultaneously expected to ensure food security for European and global populations, contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation, restore biodiversity and ecosystems, and maintain viable rural livelihoods and landscapes. These objectives are increasingly interdependent and at times in tension. A 2025 study commissioned by the German Catholic Bishops, “Food security, climate protection and biodiversity: ethical perspectives for global land use”, argues that these challenges cannot be addressed in isolation, and proposes a systemic perspective that integrates ecological limits, social justice, and global responsibility. At a time when ongoing reform debates on the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) highlight the political difficulty of balancing environmental ambition, income stability for farmers, budgetary constraints and global competitiveness, this event seeks to bring ethical, political, economic, and practical perspectives into dialogue.
2. Objectives
Organised jointly between JESC and the European Laudato Si’ Alliance (ELSiA), the event aims to:
- Present the core findings of the 2025 German Bishops’ study on land use and food systems, and assess their relevance for current and future CAP reform debates
- Compare normative, policy, and practical perspectives on agricultural transition, and identify points of convergence and tension between ethics, policy feasibility, and farming realities
- Promote a meaningful dialogue among interested stakeholders (MEPs and EU officials, farmers’ associations, environmental NGOs) on integrated approaches to food system transformation.
3. Format
16.00 Welcome words, by Filipe Martins, JESC Director and ELSiA’s board member
16.05 Opening remarks, by hosting MEP Manuela Ripa (EPP, Germany)
16.10 Presentation of the study “Food security, climate protection and biodiversity: ethical perspectives for global land use”, by Dr Stefan Einsiedel (Researcher of the Zentrum für Globale Fragen / Scientific Secretary to the Expert Panel)
16.25 Contribution from different stakeholders
- The young farmers’ perspective, by Sophie Utner, MIJARC Europe
- The environmental approach, by Théo Paquet, EEB-European Environmental Bureau
- The political implementation, by Thomas Waitz (Greens/EFA, Austria), other MEPs to be confirmed
16.55 Dialogue among speakers
17.10 Q&A with participants
17.30 Conclusion and networking coffee
More information will be shared closer to the date to those registered. Thank you for your interest.
